“That’s one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong

Faster than you can quote the great Neil Armstrong, National Space Day 2018 is here. National Space Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday of May. It was created by Lockheed Martin in 1997 as a day to promote the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields among young people and to encourage youth to learn more about space and space exploration. From calendars to books, the GPO bookstore has everything your favorite stargazer needs to celebrate the solar system.

We all know NASA. In layman’s terms, it’s where some of the most brilliant people build rocket ships and send men floating into space. Even a simple Google search for “What does NASA do?” will turn up the result that the agency “is responsible for science and technology related to air and space.” But don’t believe everything you read on the internet. GPO is here to tell you this: NASA technology is not just made for air and space. It’s all around us. Right here on planet earth.

Spinoff 2018 is a newly-released book published by NASA that highlights this commercialized NASA technology, which can be found in lots of everyday items from phones to furniture to cars. We won’t give it all away, but in the book, NASA walks readers through initial uses for the technology and how these spinoffs have helped make advances in health and medicine, public safety, energy and the environment, information technology, and more. You’ve got to read it to believe it.

Need a little more space? Your wish upon a luminous point in the night sky is our command. The International Space Station: Operating an Outpost in the New Frontier is also available for purchase now. NASA’s flight director, who authored the book, takes readers through the operations of the International Space Station from the perspective of the Houston flight control team.

Know someone who’s a total space cadet? Keep them organized with the NASA Science 2018 Commemorative Calendar, still available for purchase. It’s full of mesmerizing photos of the stars, galaxy and everyone’s favorite planet … Earth, of course. Sorry, other planets. You’re great with all your rings and ice. Just not very inhabitable.

Go on, get lost in space. Check out these publications. May the fourth be with you!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.